A dissertation on preschool

I have spent the past month agonizing over preschool.  I hadn't planned on sending Jilly this year since she has two more years before kindergarten.  Then we moved and everyone was abuzz about preschool.  Enter panic mode.  Initially I went crazy thinking "We're never going to make any friends if we don't do preschool!!!!!"  And then I researched and worried and  researched and worried and didn't sleep until Bryan finally told me, "I don't want to hear about preschool ever again."  I found a school that was close, got good reviews, was affordable, and registered Jillian- up to the last minute I was wavering, but I did it.  And I started to feel pretty good about a few hours away from Jilly each week.

Then we got a letter.  Unexpectedly, the teacher quit, and they were looking for another teacher but hadn't found one yet.  The preschool would still be there, but it would start a few weeks later and the teacher was TBD.  They offered to let us withdraw and get all our money back.  Which got me doubting.  Lisa was having a similar dilemma so we face-timed one morning at 7am my time, 4am her time (logical time to talk preschool, right?)  And thus began the researching and worrying cycle all over again.  It boiled down to a few facts:

- I did not think preschool was necessary.  I think she can learn anything she needs at home and she gets classroom experience at church.
- I was doing preschool solely for social reasons, which was not terrible, but still if I put in a little effort I could find plenty of ways for her to socialize with kids her age.
- This preschool was affordable, but still, not money we had planned on spending this year.  And the money could be used for other things like the zoo, the aquarium, gymnastics, etc.

So, we withdrew from preschool.  And I've already regretted it (mostly on the days when Jilly is a frequent time-out visitor and I wish so much that we could have a little time apart) but overall I feel really good about it and I'm excited.  I'm going to use some of Mattie's nap time to do preschool activities with Jilly, and I've found some fun resources and already started a little bit and it's gone great.  The day after I made my decision I found these two articles and they made me feel even better: here and here.  Not that I think preschool is a bad choice at all, and we will consider sending her to a school next year; I'm just thrilled to finally feel like I made the best decision for us this year.  My biggest regret is that we don't get to pick out a first day of school outfit.